Title: Bonesmith

Series: House of the Dead #1

Author: Nicki Pau Preto

Ready your blade. Defeat the undead.

In the Dominions, the dead linger, violent and unpredictable, unless a bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr—a ghost-fighting warrior—is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.

Determined to reclaim her family’s respect, Wren gets her chance when a House of Gold prince is kidnapped and taken beyond the Wall. To prove she has what it takes to be a valkyr, Wren vows to cross the Breach and rescue the prince. But to do so, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with one of the kidnappers—a fierce ironsmith called Julian from the exiled House of Iron, the very people who caused the Breach in the first place…and the House of Bone’s sworn enemy.

As they travel, Wren and Julian spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when they discover there’s more behind the kidnapping than either of them knew, they’ll need to work together to combat the real danger: a dark alliance that is brewing between the living and the undead.

All the stars!!!!!! I devoured this in a day!

Treachery means Wren is sent from her home as a Bonesmith to the Border Wall as her punishment.

One kidnapped Prince later and Wren and her people’s enemy, an Ironsmith called Julian, have a mission to get her back in the good graces of her family.

I don’t really know if I can do this book justice in my review but you can expect:

~ Lies secrets and betrayal
~ Trust no one
~ The different families lore, all those Smiths!
~ Lost races of people
~ Family drama
~ A very cute budding romance, maybe
~ The best world building
~ Dastardly villains
~ The undead
~ A Corpse Queen (amazing!)
~ Absolutely spot on pacing

I listened to the audiobook and totally appreciated the northern accent they gave Wren, gave me proper GoT vibes!

Wren, Julian and Prince Leo were all very loveable and very talented in their own way and I can’t wait to read more about them in book 2!

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Well here we are in 2024, I’m back to work (boo!) and I’ve been having a reread week!

I’ve decided to relisten to all the Shadowhunters books in 2024 and also, probably too ambitiously, catch up with the Solaria world (a reread of Ruthless Boys, catching up with Zodiac Academy and finishing Darkmore Penitentiary)!

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New Arrivals

I’m determined to be really good and not buy loads of books this year so I might even get rid of this segment or maybe it’s a better idea to keep it to shame myself!!!

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What I’ve Read

Dark Fae by Caroline Peckham (reread)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Savage Fae by Caroline Peckham (reread)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (relisten)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Look out for my reviews soon!

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You might have missed…..

Challenge – Audiobook Challenge
Review – Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab
Review – Defiant by Brandon Sanderson

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What have you read lately?

Title: Defiant

Series: Skyward #4

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Spensa made it out of the Nowhere, but what she saw in the space between the stars has changed her forever. She came face to face with the Delvers, and finally got answers to the questions she’s had about her own strange Cytonic gifts.

The Superiority didn’t stop in it’s fight for galactic dominance while she was gone, though. Spensa’s team, Skyward Flight, was able to hold Winzik off, and even collect allies to help with the cause, but it’s only a matter of time until humanity–and the rest of the galaxy–falls.

Defeating them will require all the knowledge Spensa gathered while in the Nowhere. But being Cytonic is more complicated than she ever could have imagined. Now, Spensa must ask herself: how far is she willing to go for victory, if it means losing herself–and her friends–in the process.

The final book in the Skyward series will free humanity, or see it fall forever.

Back with Spensa aka Spin and everything has changed now she’s back from the Nowhere.

Lots of people are gone, Jorgen is in charge but Grangran, Doomslug and Mbot are still here (and so is the new addition, Chet!)

I’m not saying anything about the plot but 3 things really stood out for me in this book:

~ Found family – and it was exquisite!
~ The character growth was immense!
~ Jorgen and Spensa’s relationship is what all couples should strive towards!

So, the final battle, the conclusion…and it was fabulous, I’m actually sad to see it finish.

But….Skyward Legacy? Does this mean more? Or is this the Skyward Flight novellas? I know I want more so hope it’s more!!!!

Title: Fragile Threads of Power

Series: Threads of Power #1

Author: VE Schwab

Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland’s absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she’s the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.

Here we go, back into one of my favourite series ever!

I was so excited to be back in this magical world and glad we still have Kel, Lila, Ry and Alucard but we also have Kosika and Tess.

As in ADSoM, this book sets the scene…..

Here are some of my thoughts…..

Although 7 years is a lot of time to change someone, I first thought it hadn’t changed Lila for the better (and I was gutted!) I really didn’t like her for much of this book but she did get better!

The changes in Kell also broke my heart but I guess it was to be expected.

Luc and Rhy, my heart…and little Ren!!!! My heart x 100+

Nadiya, she is creepy!!!!

Love everything about Tess – she is the key to everything!

Loved the flashbacks, especially Kosikas!

That ending – gob.smacked.

Next book please!!!!!

2024 Audiobook Challenge!!

It’s back again this year and hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I’m Talking About. You can sign up here!

All you need to do is choose your level and get those audiobooks ready! Use hashtag #2024AudiobookChallenge on social media!

I used to listen to audiobooks at work so I could fly through them but now I have a new job and I can’t do that (need to concentrate!) So I’ve had to lower my total for 2024 😫 but I’m going for My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+

Challenge Details
(Full list on the link above)

• Runs January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024. You can join at any time.

• The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2024 than you did in 2023.

Achievement Levels

What level will you choose?

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5

• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10

• Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15

• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20

• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30

• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+

• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

• Over-Achiever (Power Listener) 75+

• The 100 Club (Audiobook Addict) 100+

• I Can’t Hear You (earbuds always in) 125-150

• Audibly Addicted (listening to all the books 24/7) 150+

Will you be joining in?

Happy New Year!

Wishing you health and happiness in the New Year ahead. And, of course loads of fab books!

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Happy New Years Eve! Enjoy seeing in the new year whatever you’re doing!

I also hope you had a lovely Christmas! We had a lovely time but ate far too much and felt really sleepy!!!!

I took some time off all social media for the 3 days over Christmas to enjoy the time with my family and I think it was just what was needed, a recharge!

My books read below do look like more than usual because they aren’t all from the last week, I forgot to add some the week before!

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New Arrivals

Got some book money for Christmas so need to buy, buy, buy 🤣

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What I’ve Read

🎧 The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 So This is Ever After by FT Lukens
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Fate of Wrath and Flame by KA Tucker
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Look out for my reviews soon!

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You might have missed…..

Funny – A little in between fun
Challenge – Tackle That TBR: come join me

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What have you read lately?

I normally do another Backlist challenge but for 2024, I thought I’d do my own!

Feel free to join in and let me know in the comments how many books you’ll go for!

Information:

* An annual challenge to read your tbr!

* THE GOLDEN RULE: The books you read must be published in the previous year or earlier, ie not in 2024.

* Set your goal and if you want, name your books, no pressure!

* Audiobooks, ebooks, paperbacks, hardbacks; they all count!

I set my goal in 2023 at 20 but I managed to read 28. I also added another rule for myself that these books must have been on my actual tbr with a date before 31 December 2022 and not bought/borrowed before this date.

So for 2024 I’m going to stick to the same, 20 books that have been on my actual tbr at 31 December 2023.

I’m not going to name books as I’m a mood reader but I have 98 books on my tbr so plenty to choose from!

Because I loved Storygraph when I tried it in 2022 I decided to keep going and run in tandem with Goodreads again this year.

I had a brilliant reading year! I’ve read more books this year than I have in years and I think it’s all due to how much I’ve ramped up audiobook listening!

~ I smashed my reading goal of 140 by reading 184 books – that was 76,320 pages!!!!

~ I sprinkled those stars around!

~ Now this is one that really surprised me! I knew I’d listened to a lot of audiobooks, but I didn’t realise they made up 48% of my reading! Wowzers!

~ So lets talk non-fiction – in 2022 I had read 1% which was 1 book, so I made an effort this year and read 5 non-fiction books which equates to 3%!!!! A step in the right direction!

I think for 2024 I will carry on using both Storygraph and Goodreads as I can’t seem to let Goodreads go and I love the stats on Storygraph. It’s no bother doing 2 each time I read a book, literally takes seconds!